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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

iPhone Apps: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

The other day I asked my tweeps on twitter, through a tweet (say that five times fast) that if they had an iPhone/iPod touch to tweet back their favorite applications. I got a great response, and great suggestions; many of which I gave a shot.

After testing these, and other apps, I've put together a nowhere-near-comprehensive list of apps: both useful and not so much.

Below you will find a list of app names (clickable links go to iTunes app store) followed either by a '+' (give it a go), '/' (eh) or an 'X' (Ewwe...) Also, a brief description of said app is included. Finally, you will notice that all apps listed are FREE. Simply beautiful :)

* Facebook (+) Love making music and giving it away ilegally? Then this is definitely not the app for you. Use Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family :D

* Evernotes (X) If you have a super-crappy memory then you may find this app useful. Personally, it was more trouble to me than it was worth and ended up being a giant waist of time.

* TwitterFon (+) Amazing app for those who experience symptoms of twitter withdrawl. Very easy to use and comprehensive!

* TwitterTrends (/) Although semi-useful, this 'hashtag-or-twitter-search-esque' app was not all I expected. I still use it because of it's colorful and pretty UI, but honestly, TwitterFon's trend tracker works fine.

* MobileLinked (+) This chat program works great with my gTalk account. It's super easy to use; no complaints overall. If you're into the whole Social Networking gig, I'd give ya the Nike slogan.

* LifeCast (+) if you're a blogger and your provider doesn't have their own app (like say, Blogspot) Lifecast is your solution! As a matter of fact, I'm posting from it right now. ;)Posts may not be beautifully pretty, but they do get the message across.

* Pandora (+) Internet radio! What does that mean? Free streaming music in an iTunes 'genius-like' way. Go for it, open the box.

* Fandango (+) As far as movie/movie time apps go, this definitely takes the cake. Just plug in your zip to find theaters and showtimes near you. Also, beautiful iPhone UI.

* Bible (+) How could I give the Bible a low score? Seriously, though, this app is incredible. While online look up verses, or just read, in any of the major translations. Also, if you find yourself grounded with no connection, dowloadable translations are available for free!

* Wikipanion (/) I give this app a partial for one reason, and one reason only: the icon sucks. It's brown, and looks like a Junior Higher made it in MS Paint. Other then that, very useful for finding Wikipedia articles.

* Myspace (X) In my mind, and in my experience, Myspace=slow. I was hoping this app would prove me wrong and give me a reason to check my prehistoric account. Let's just say it didn't. The app is every bit as chunky as the site, and it makes me wanna puke. Problem is, I have no alternative. So, for the time being, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. My suggestion: don't bother with Myspace in the first place. Go with Facebook.

* Shazam (/) The idea for this app is great: run it while putting your iDevice next to a music source. Through ancient shaman magic, in about 30 seconds the app tells you the song name. Problem: it only works about 50% of the time. I'd say get it, but don't make music bets with your friends that depend on it.

* Remote (++) Awesome app! Use your iPhone/touch as a remote for iTunes via wifi! Very useful, also great party trick!

* Remote Desktop Lite (++) This app is amazing! Connect to your home PC via WiFi, EDGE, or 3G! Enables complete control of your PC in the palm of your hand! Takes some computer knowledge and lingo, but I found I was able to set it up in a matter of minutes. Great for reading my chemistry CD when I don't want to get on my desktop.